I missed Nyx on Wednesday, mostly due to bad planning and a lack of motivation brought on by a late big lunch at Bamboula’s. I love their fried oyster po-boy, and went home to take a nap before walking uptown to see the parade. As it approached time to go, it started to pour down rain, and I decided to stay home. Maybe next year!
I made up for it with the Muses on Thursday. I was invited to the float prep party at Cecile’s to photograph one of the float Krewes getting ready for their day. They had a catered lunch and bar, and the twenty or so women transformed themselves into Muses with black costumes, red wigs, and makeup. This was the first New Orleans event where I was the “official photographer” and it was a lot of fun.
After a couple of hours of eating, drinking and primping, the women got on a fleet of pedicabs for a ride through the Quarter in full costume to their big pre-party luncheon. They would continue on to the staging area for another party, and then on to the floats. Over 1100 women participate in floats with comedic or satirical themes.
I stayed with Chris and his daughter Jennifer, and we relaxed for a while before heading across town to the Ace Hotel. It was a good place to stage, just two blocks off the parade route but not crowded. The folks in the bar appeared to be mostly locals escaping the parade. We walked right up to the back of the reviewing stand, and found a gap where we could see the floats and the bands. I got to see the St. Augustine Marching 100 for the first time-impressive!-and the flambeaux which are a little scary. It is a bunch of guys in casual costumes carrying propane bottles in backpacks and large propane torches. I’m fairly confident OSHA would not approve. It was not a great place to catch throws and I did not bring a camera, but we saw probably half of the Muses floats before Cecile’s came by. It was a good Carnival day!
a link to more photos:https://adobe.ly/2TIqvxV
Alaska Bob In the Big Easy 